1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet removing apparatus and method, and in particular relates to a sheet removing apparatus and method for removing sheets applied to plate-shaped members such as semiconductor wafers and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a semiconductor is manufactured, a grinding process is carried out on the underside surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereafter referred to simply as "wafer") in order to create a thin, miniaturized semiconductor chip, but before such grinding process is carried out, a protecting sheet made from an adhesive film or the like is bonded to the upper surface (i.e., the surface formed with the circuit) of the wafer. Then, after grinding is completed, the protecting sheet is removed.
In one prior art method of removing the protecting sheet, a press roller is used to apply a pressure sensitive adhesive tape having a width of 25 mm.about.50 mm to the protecting sheet bonded to the top of the wafer, and then this pressure sensitive adhesive tape is pulled to remove the protecting sheet from the wafer.
However, because this method involves the use of a press roller to press the pressure sensitive adhesive tape against the protecting sheet in order to bond the pressure sensitive adhesive tape to the protecting sheet, there is a risk of wafer damage due to such pressing force. In particular, in view of the recent trends for larger diameter and thinner wafers, it has become necessary to take such wafer damage risk into consideration.